Fast moving new Proliance Quattro gives total weed control

Proliance Quattro is a revolutionary new total herbicide for professional grounds maintenance, with the first ever enhanced active ingredient formulation of glyphosate using the unique Syngenta System 4 Technology - designed to give faster uptake and more reliable results under a wider range of conditions.

A brand new total herbicide from Syngenta will get to work quickly and rapidly penetrate weed leaves moving right through roots, rhizomes and stolons, to achieve an effective kill under a wider range of conditions. Proliance Quattro is the only amenity herbicide to contain the revolutionary Syngenta System 4 Technology - a unique blend of surfactants designed to achieve better coverage of the leaf surface, faster uptake of the active ingredient and rapid translocation through the weed.

Proliance Quattro is the first of a new generation of Enhanced Active Ingredient (EAI) products, where the glyphosate active ingredient is truly integrated with the adjuvant system. Syngenta Head of Professional Products, Simon Elsworth, says this makes the product simple to use and highly effective for a complete spectrum of amenity weeds.

"The unique formulation of Proliance Quattro increases retention of spray droplets on the leaf target and optimises spread across the surface. Herbicide penetration and uptake into the leaf is enhanced, to improve rainfastness, and the System 4 Technology ensures the active quickly reaches the weeds growing points, to achieve a complete kill," he says.

Highly sensitive infra red aerial imagery of large scale field trials (below), have shown Proliance Quattro (area below the red square of bare soil) gets to work faster and can achieve quicker overall destruction of vegetation than other premium glyphosate products (to the right of the red square and still remaining visibly more active).

Proliance Quattro is approved for a full range of professional uses and a complete spectrum of weeds. New recommendations allow the use of up to 6.0 l/ha to combat the most pernicious weeds, hitherto difficult to control with previous glyphosate products. However, the highly effective formulation gives the flexibility for control of other tough weeds at significantly lower rates.

Mr Elsworth highlights trials and users' experiences have shown that conventional glyphosate herbicides can be deactivated by mineral ions - primarily calcium and magnesium - found in hard water sources and even on plant leaves. System 4 Technology has been specifically designed to combat the natural antagonistic effects of these ions that can interfere with glyphosate activity, ensuring Proliance Quattro can work more reliably in all areas and conditions.

Trials have shown glyphosate performance can be reduced by more than 30% by the presence of calcium and magnesium ions. The beneficial ions in Proliance Quattro lock onto the bad ions before they can affect the glyphosate, leaving the herbicide free to get into the plant and take effect. Phosphor imaging has shown how Proliance Quattro is taken up faster than other premium glyphosate products, and moves to the roots quicker, (below).

"Proliance Quattro gives excellent results on difficult weeds, including Rye-Grass, and better control of Couch at lower rates than other premium glyphosate products," he added.

Proliance Quattro also has a good environmental profile, essential for today's professional landscape maintenance use. The System 4 surfactant is based on maize glucose, which is highly biodegradable and has excellent safety and environmental properties; any spray landing on the soil surface is quickly deactivated and degraded.

Mr Elsworth believes Proliance Quattro will demonstrate all the advantages that make Enhanced Active Ingredient products such an exciting development that will make future amenity products easier to use and more effective.

Syngenta is a world-leading agribusiness committed to sustainable agriculture and turf management through innovative research and technology. The company is a leader in crop protection and turf management. It ranks third in the high-value commercial seeds market. Sales in 2005 were approximately $8.1 billion. Syngenta employs some 19,000 people in over 90 countries. Syngenta is listed on the Swiss stock exchange (SYNN) and in New York (SYT). Further information is available at <www.syngenta.com>

For specialist Syngenta turf management information visit the web site www.greencast.co.uk